Opies Waltnut Pate

Ingredients

1 Pheasant

400g Pork - minced

2 shallots – finely chopped

2 Cloves Garlic – finely chopped

6 Juniper Berries – crushed

2tsp Mixed Herbs

1tsp Salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1 egg

8tbs White Wine

350g Streaky Bacon

200g Pickled Walnuts – sliced

To Decorate:

Bay Leaves

and Sliced Pickled Walnuts.

Preparation

Pre-heat the oven to 170ºC/325F/Gas 3 and put the kettle on to boil.

Skin the pheasant and remove all the meat. Chop into fairly small pieces and place in a bowl.

Add the pork, shallots, garlic, juniper berries, mixed herbs, salt, pepper, egg and white wine.

Mix together thoroughly. Line a 2 pint terrine with the streaky bacon saving 3-4 to decorate the top.

Spread half of the meat mixture over the base of the lined terrine.

Place the sliced pickled walnuts on top and then cover with the remaining meat mixture and press down well.

Cover the surface with the remaining pieces of bacon and arrange the bay leaves and walnuts on top. Cover with a rectangle of greased foil. Stand in a roasting tin and pour enough boiling water around it to come approx 1 inch up the sides. Bake for 1.5 – 2 hours until just firm to the touch.

Remove the foil for the last 20mins of cooking to allow the top to brown. Remove the terrine from the roasting tin, allow to cool and then transfer to the fridge until needed . The pate can be made several days in advance to allow the flavours to develop.